Maximum PC

So right now I have an awful set of stereo speakers, and a TV that only supports stereo output, and I was trying to figure out how to set up speakers in front of the TV, and behind the couch, so that viewers could hear better. I found this thing which is pretty cheap splitter that lets me plug an extra pair of speakers in.

There's only one problem: How the hell can I set up a pair of speakers 20+ feet away (well, physically it's less, but it has to go around a ton of crap)? Do I just buy 25-foot generic coax cables and plug them into the stereo outputs, wire them across the room, and then plug them into the speakers?

And yes, I know that no matter what I do, this is probably going to be really shoddy.

Thanks for any help.

Speakers behind the couch will probably just sound weird since they won't be your typical surround speakers (that are usually only used for special effects, not playing the same thing that the front speakers do in a proper 5.1 setup) that you would typically have in a 5.1 setup...

Depends on the speakers you're using. Since you just want to use a splitter, i'm assuming that they're just generic PC speakers with amps built in, such that they don't require an amp or reciever. In this case, then your solution above is probably the easiest.

IMO, the best solution is to put both sets of speakers up front, or close to the front of the room so that you don't get your senses messed up (ie video in front and audio coming from behind you). Just turn them up a little bit.

Also, you're best bet is probably to simply buy a splitter and run both pairs of speakers from that, although i'm assuming that you want volume control from a remote and that's why you want this "home theater sound thing", which really won't give you home theater surround sound from a "crappy pair of speakers"...

If you want "home theater" sound on the cheap, stop by wal-mart or Fry's and purchase a cheap home theater system...I've seen them as low as $50 or so...Probably not real good in the sound quality, but it doesn't sound like you really care alot. Should be able to take a stereo source (from your TV) and "convert" or play it back on all 5 speakers. In my experience, when a 5.1 system takes a stereo source and plays it back, the rear (surround) speakers will only play mid-high stuff and are much softer than the front/center speakers.

So I guess if you do put speakers behind the couch in you're ghetto rig, make sure that they are much softer than the front speakers.

Hmm... I guess you're right, I think I'll just double the speakers up front then.

that thing you linked to isnt a splitter, its an effects unit, it massages the sound to simulate a center speaker from 2 speakers, boosts bass, and tries to simulate rears from phasing tricks.. and does all from two front speakers. it does not split to a 2nd pair of speakers at all.

the theory is sound (it has been done well on some higher end receivers and/or effects units) but you have to sit in a very narrow "sweet spot" for it to work.

I have no idea how well that one will work.

if youre gonna run 2 sets of stereo speakers off a 99 cent Y splitter, put one pair together under the TV (poor mans "center channel") and one pair to the sides (L+R).

Oh, wow, I feel like a moron now. I totally read that product description wrong.


Well, anyone know a good cable or adapter that can change a simple red/white stereo output into a pair, or even more?

TV has RCA female plugs, but what inputs do you need for the speakers? they are powered computer speakers?

you should be able to cobble something up from this page. mix and match till it fits. seems pricey, but shows you whats out there. radio shack might have everything you need, or at least they did a while back.. they are mostly a phone store now.

If you're talking about the RCA outputs, you can get RCA cables that on one end have a pass-through. See this radio shack link.

Or, just using RCA Splitter or RCA Y-Adapter you'll easily find thousands of hits.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=3450791

Also, geeks.com, where you are shopping has this, which you'd need two of to split the RCA out into two.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid ... 00&cat=SPK

Wow, that's inexpensive... I wonder if I should buy 6 and put 8 speakers up front

LOL. Now out of curiousity, is it really RCA? Generally speaking when you're talking speakers it's just straight speaker-wire. RCA cables typically link stereo components together, not the speakers themselves. At any rate, those will do the job nicely if you really just need to split RCAs

Oh, yeah, I'm not splitting the cable in between the speakers. I think that's plain old 3.5mm. There are RCA outputs on the back of the TV. I figure if I'm going to place all the speakers pretty close to the TV, might as well split it at the source. Then I should be able to just plug each "master" speaker into a red and a white.